Anyone tried the Hornet Electric Deer Whistle?

[2dogs]

Personal experience here. Frequently my wife and I ride over a 6,000+ foot elevation pass on a state highway when we're headed home after long weekend rides. At dusk and dark it is swarming with deer. Of course, we take it easy and use caution. The reason for all the deer is this. The area is a winter recreational area and heavily visited during that time and parking during that time is at a premium. Because of that the highway department salts and sands the area heavily. During the summer evenings the deer flock to that area to lick up the salt. My experience riding with both types of deer whistles on motorcycles and cars in that area had zero affect. Just about the same as using a horn. They do nothing until you're passed them. The whistles are supposed to be in a tone range that humans can't hear, only animals can hear that tone. How do you know your whistles are working, well you don't. I have passed many deer standing alongside the road and mostly they are just standing there or they are grazing and paying no attention to traffic. Those that get hit are on a panic run or just standing in the way and the driver simply didn't see them due to the lack of attention. As others have mentioned here, be cautious and aware when in a deer area. Slow down at night and look for the deer’s eyes and don’t out run your headlights.

[Columbia]

I'm not from that area and haven't traveled there. My guess is the short brick walls are for wild boar?
(Not to be confused with "wild bore"... )

[CloverHillCrawler]

David Hough in his Proficient Motorcycling (--Highly Recommended Reading) offers sound advice (no pun intended) when darkness looms or has descended: look for the reflection from critter's eyes at roadside. That has saved my bacon (venison?) more than once here in the Pacific Northwest. [/I].

I used this method since I started driving as taught to me by my father but this method failed me while out at 1 am sintering my brakes after I installed a fresh set of pads a couple of months ago.

Had a buck jump out in front of me from behind a panel truck in someone's driveway. I was lucky enough to stop and give it a love tap and knocked its legs out from under it but it's head fell on my left fender and shattered the fender. Then it got up and ran away.

Somebody needs to tell the deer they need reflective strips on their ankles so I can see the reflection of their ankles from underneath panel trucks.

[EdMat]

. or am I way off base?

Wild pigs. Built low to the ground and just like hitting a low brick wall. Tends to take the whole undercarriage out when you hit one. Would probably flip a Spyder. I know hitting a racoon can leave you with 1 wheel on the road and facing pavement before a Spyder settles back down.

[Mikey]

Wild pigs. Built low to the ground and just like hitting a low brick wall. Tends to take the whole undercarriage out when you hit one. Would probably flip a Spyder. I know hitting a racoon can leave you with 1 wheel on the road and facing pavement before a Spyder settles back down.

I have hit a few things with my Spyder, snowshoe hare was the biggest, it did make a hell of a thump, glad I had the bump skid that night! I think the Spyder would probably hit a deer just fine without flipping, now whether it would take you off the bike and tip you upside down, that's another thing!! Don't really want to try it, but it is in the back of my mind when I'm out at night on the country roads. I have had a lot of really close calls sledding, so that's why I never out-drive my vision; if you can't see, SLOW DOWN.

[wyliec]

Cures anything and everything....Lumbago....Arthritis.....not sure about Constipation, but the salesman said.....
and it prevents scurvy, so why not deer strikes?

I thought that was WD40.

[vito1943]

I was thinking about buying deer whistles for my RT. But I just plunked down a good bit of change of several bottles of clicker fluid so the deer whistles have to wait. I'm also considering the sky hooks to let me carry more luggage on long trips.

[RayBJ]

I've heard that if you store your peanut butter in the frig the elephants won't be able to find it. Ya never know if/when an elephant raid is gonna happen.

If the cost doesn't bother you, it can't hurt. But vigilance is key.

So far, I'm 1 deer /200k miles w/o a whistle in deer-infested NJ.

[DGoebel]

I seem to remember that Pennsylvania State Police tried the whistles on their cruisers (years ago) and at lower speeds they "believed" they had some effect. But if you're driving 55 plus I doubt the whistles could project out ahead of the vehicle. I too would rather put $150 into some Denali driving lights and see out in front further. (And I already have Lamonster's LED Head and foglight upgrades on my '18RTL)

[SkipH]

I had Deer whistles on an 76 Honda when they were the fashionable at the time, didn't seem to make any difference to the deer. Altho I've had a couple that ran along side of me close enough that I could of patted their bald heads, I've never hit one.
I did avoid a close encounter with an elk. I was coming down from Mt Hood enjoying the sweepers when a 70 El Camino coming up started flashing his headlights at me. I rolled back on the throttle and figured that there was police ahead. I rounded the curve, No police- but a severely swollen elk in the slow lane. Thank you Mr El Camino!

[DaniBoy]

If you figure out a way to keep deer from running out in front of us, you’ll be a millionaire overnight. Please share.